Download Making an Electromagnet

Lesson: Making an Electromagnet
Date Created: August 15, 2015
Created By: Katona Lyn Miller
Overview: Throughout this lesson students will learn about how electricity and magnets are related through the
properties of an electromagnet and demonstrate those properties by making and using an electromagnet.
Standards / Anchors: Learning Progressions S3.A221, S4.A214, S4A212; Next Generation 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-3, 3-PS24; Common Core Standards CC.W.4.8, CC.MP.5; PSSA 8th Grade Anchor S8.C213
Essential Vocabulary:
Magnetism: the attractive and repulsion forces between objects
Electricity: a form of energy resulting from charged particles
Electromagnetism: the interaction of electrical and magnetic fields
Electromagnet: a soft metal core made into a magnet when electricity passes through it
Materials:
Wire (Cut in 2 foot increments)
D Cell Batteries
Magnets
Metal Paperclips
Large Iron Nails
Prep: After reading the lesson plan in its entirety, set up enough stations so that the students are working in pairs, at
each station include one D cell battery, 2ft long wire, a magnet, several paperclips, and an iron nail. You may even want
to try out the lab for yourself to see if there are any parts of the procedure the students might have a hard time on.
Opening Activity: Have the students use the magnet to pick up the paperclips, then ask them to turn off the magnet.
When they reply I can’t or when they ask how, ask them to try and turn it off. When they can’t, tell them that there are
magnets that can be turned off, and that they will make one today!
Procedure:
1. Starting about 6 inches in from the end of the wire, have the students wrap the wire around the nail as many times as
they can until only 6 inches about is left on the other end. Make sure the wire doesn’t overlap on the nail, it should only
spiral.
2. Have the students press each wire to one end of the battery.
3. When both ends are connected the nail should pick up the paperclips, if they let go of one end the magnet should
stop working. This is an electromagnet.
4. See how many paperclips the electromagnet can pick up.
5. Allow them some time to think of a way to make the electromagnet stronger.
6. Allow them time to test out their idea, to see if it picks up more paperclips then before.
7. After they see if their idea works, have they clean up.
Wrap Up: Have the students share their ideas with the class and discuss if they were successful.
Extensions: Challenge the students to see if this electromagnet would work with other types of metal aside from iron.